Leonardo da Vinci

Quotes – by Leonardo da Vinci

The Virgin and Child with St. Anne, (c. 1510)-Louvre Museum: Click image to enlarge.

Leonardo da Vici is definitely one of the most famous persons in the history of art. His painting of the Mona Lisa has been reproduced an untold number of times since his death. No painting in the world attracts so many visitors as often as the Mona Lisa or has been “borrowed” by so many other artists. In spite of this and his fame, Leonardo da Vinci is not very well represented by his art works; fewer than a couple of dozen of his paintings remain plus several that are unfinished.

Da Vinci was a master of many different fields, painting being just one of them. Besides being an artist he was a scientist. Among Leonardo’s many methods of research, no complete treatise on painting has been discovered. Of course it is true that Leonardo made copious notes about many aspects of painting, both theoretical and technical, even their scope, however, goes way beyond a handbook for students or artists.

Here are some of the many quotes attributed to da Vinci

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Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. – Leonardo da Vinci

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A well-spent day brings happy sleep. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience it is necessary for us to do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his memory. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Art is never finished, only abandoned. – Leonardo da Vinci

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As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death. – Leonardo da Vinci

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. – Leonardo da Vinci

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He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. – Leonardo da Vinci

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I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. – Leonardo da Vinci

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I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death. – Leonardo da Vinci

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In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation… even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. – Leonardo da Vinci

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It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Life well spent is long. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the hope of pulling out an eel. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. – Leonardo da Vinci

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The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions. – Leonardo da Vinci

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The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art. – Leonardo da Vinci

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The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. – Leonardo da Vinci

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There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Water is the driving force of all nature. – Leonardo da Vinci

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While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die. – Leonardo da Vinci

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Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake? – Leonardo da Vinci